SEC Hosts High School Students at Statewide Training School

CREWE – Southside Electric Cooperative (SEC) hosted 13 juniors and seniors from Amelia County High School (ACHS) Friday in Palmyra, Va. at the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperative’s (VMDAEC) Training School for electric line workers. The career exploration event, dubbed “A Day in the Life of a Lineman,” is the first of its kind and was a pilot program with an eye towards additional future opportunities for students in co-op service territory across the Commonwealth.

The students received an in-class overview of the profession, historical background, basic equipment instruction, and a look at the necessary training that’s involved in becoming a line worker. After lunch, the outdoor portion of the day began, highlighting the unique nature of electric line work as a career for those who love to work outdoors. With an emphasis on safety, pole climbing and bucket truck demonstrations were displayed for the students, who were invited to try on the standard safety equipment worn by linemen in the field.

Jeff Edwards, president & CEO of SEC, noted, “It is critical that our high school students be exposed to all the different opportunities that are out there. With an increase in lineman retirements across Virginia, it is a profession that young people should strongly consider. The pay and benefits are good, and if you enjoy being outdoors this just may be the perfect job for you. It’s hard work without a doubt, but it can be a very rewarding and fulfilling career path.”

The students were accompanied by Dr. BJ Brewer, Superintendent of Amelia County Public Schools, Allen Vernon, ACPS Director of Operations/CTE Director, and Benjy Morris, agriculture & horticulture teacher at ACHS.

“We are grateful to Southside Electric for giving our students this opportunity and we look forward to working with them in the future. These are exactly the kinds of community partnerships that will benefit our young people at a crucial time when they are still exploring different career paths. Amelia’s public schools continue to look for ways to expand its career and technical education training programs to prepare students to enter the workforce,” Dr. Brewer added.

Headquartered in Crewe, SEC is a member-owned electric-distribution utility serving more than 54,000 meters throughout southern and central Virginia. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.sec.coop. For more information about VMDAEC, visit www.vmdaec.com.

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